Vauxhall Ampera Car Reviews

The secret to the Ampera's eco-credentials lies in its clever hybrid powertrain. Like any other electric car, you charge the batteries by plugging the car into a domestic electrical socket. This takes around six hours and provides enough juice to carry you around for 35-miles. When the batteries go flat, a conventional 1.4-litre petrol engine kicks in but unlike in, say, a Prius, the engine does not power the wheels. Instead, the engine provides power for the electric motor which continues to drive the wheels.

Vauxhall claims that the Ampera will manage up to 235mpg and emit just 27g/km of CO2. However, it comes at a high price and, even with the £5000 government grant, you'll still be paying £32,250 for the privilege of owning an Ampera.

Background

The Vauxhall Ampera is essentially a Chevrolet Volt rebadged for the UK market. Weirdly, however, the Volt is sold alongside the Ampera in Blighty and is around £2,000 cheaper. Since it went into production in 2010, the Volt/Ampera has been showered with a number of awards, including the 2011 Green Car of the Year, the 2011 North American Car of the Year and the 2012 European Car of the Year. The Ampera made its UK market debut in 2012.

Summary

If you can afford the steep price tag and desperately need low fuel consumption, then the Ampera might just be the car for you. However, we'd advise you to spend your money elsewhere - electric car technology is only going to get better and, if you take the plunge now, you may regret it.